The Wind Beneath My Wings
by Nikki14u
Summary: It’s hard imagining what life would be like without the one person that keeps the family together. This was their world without him.
1. Losing You

**Summary: **It's hard imagining what life would be like without the one person that keeps the family together. This was their world without him.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the song Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler nor do I own OTH or any of it's character because if I did then we could see A LOT MORE OF the Scott brothers together, acting as if…I don't know…THEY WERE BROTHERS. LOL This story has a little a few pairings in it. Naley, Brucas (Mainly flashbacks) and Kan

**THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS**

_It must have been cold there in my shadow,  
To never have sunlight on your face.  
You were content to let me shine, that's your way.  
You always walked a step behind_.

You were never a show off like me. I was loud, bossy, aggressive and full of anger in my younger days. I was cocky and full of garbage back then and I took refuge in my popularity and being the chosen one of Tree Hill High. It was a nice ride, I'll admit but it was also a difficult mask to ware and a heavy burden to carry. I was evil to some and a God to others. I never let anyone in, I didn't have to. People were there to worship me and I felt worthy of their praise, that was all of course before I met you. I always knew you were out there, I always knew that there was a part of me that was missing but I was too consumed with my life and how great I thought I was to ever give it a second thought. Although I never really knew what true greatness was until I met you, my other half, my better half. You were content to walk in my shadow, in _his_ shadow and to the naked eye it would seem as though I was more then willing to let you stay there. But that assumption was wrong. I always wondered about you and the day that you crossed the line and made yourself known to my world was one day that I will never forget.

_So I was the one with all the glory,  
While you were the one with all the strain.  
A beautiful face without a name for so long.  
A beautiful smile to hide the pain._

For a while there I made your life a living hell. Taunting you, telling you that you didn't belong in my world and getting others to come along for the ride. If only you knew that it wasn't hate I was feeling. In fact I already cared about you and wondered about you since I knew of your existence and everything that I did to you; everything that I said was just my way of having some sort of attention from you. And each and every time you would handle it with more grace then I could even imagine myself having.

You always found a way to smile through the pain that I would cause you. Whether it was with one of the girls or one of the other guys you always managed to pull through, to show me that I may have been the one with all the glory, but you were the one with all the grace. Yeah I know it seems kind of stupid and childish now but that was the only way I could get you to notice me. I had dreamt of meeting you a thousand times before and every night in my dream world we were close. You would stop me from saying and doing dumb things and getting myself into situations that my arrogance had created. When I was much younger you would protect me from the monsters under my bed, save me from bullies (something I was in the real world) you were my hero.

_Did you ever know that you're my hero,  
And everything Ii would like to be?  
I can fly higher than an eagle,  
For you are the wind beneath my wings_.

As time went on my dreams finally turned into a reality. We became close, best of friends even and damn if it didn't feel good. I had been waiting my whole life for these precious moments and when they came I never wanted to let them go. Your friends became mine and mine became yours our world was now perfectly blended. The past became just that, the past and we both agreed to give our new relationship a try and it worked out better then we both could have ever imagined. I have tears in my eyes now just thinking about it. You know its funny how someone can live in the same place as you for so long and you never once came into contact with one another. Never knew what life was like for the other but when destiny finally leads you to one another it's hard imagining what life would be like without your new and improved half. That's exactly what it was like for us, you and me to the end.

_It might have appeared to go unnoticed,  
But I've got it all here in my heart.  
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.  
I would be nothing without you_

My own ego would have destroyed me if it weren't for you. I would have become some arrogant (even more so then I already was) bastard that hurt everyone I came in contact with but I had you to kick my ass and make me realize that there was more to life then what I saw, then what I thought I was meant to be. You saved me on more then one occasions and brought me the one person that I love almost as much as I love you. I'm a different person now and I have you to thank for that.

_Did you ever know that you're my hero?_

_You're everything I wish I could be.  
I could fly higher than an eagle,  
For you are the wind beneath my wings_

When you called me that morning a few years ago and told me the news of your illness I nearly went insane. In fact if it weren't for her, for them I definitely would have. I didn't understand how my hero, how my best friend could be so sick. You were superman in my eyes and I never wanted that image of you to fade. I didn't want to see what I knew you would become. I broke down as you tried to comfort me, telling me that everything was going to be okay. That you were going to make it through this and that you were going to be stronger then ever. You even laughed saying that if something happened to you then who the hell would be there to pull me back from the many ledges that I always found myself on. I think that was the first time that you ever lied to me.

_Did I ever tell you you're my hero?  
You're everything, everything I wish I could be.  
Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle,  
For you are the wind beneath my wings,  
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings_

I watched as the cancer ate at you. On the many visits that followed you grew paler and thinner then usual and were becoming less and less of the person I knew and loved with my whole heart and soul. I watched as my protected and best friend faded away but never once did you let any of us see the pain that you were in. You fought a good fight and held on to the very end, giving us all you had. Your last words to me were take care of them and be strong. Also (you whispered) never forget how much I love you little brother. I remember crying and begging you to stay but you just smiled at me, grabbed onto my hand and took your final breath.

_Oh, the wind beneath my wings.  
You, you, you, you are the wind beneath my wings.  
Fly, fly, fly away. you let me fly so high.  
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.  
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings._

I sat in my bedroom crying for days after that. I didn't eat, I didn't sleep, and I didn't even acknowledge Haley or the boys during this time. I was a complete wreck. I didn't know what to do without my big brother. Thirty three was too young to die. You still had so much to do in life; we had too much left to say to each other. I cursed myself so many times for not getting to know you sooner. I shouldn't have wasted any of it hating you or trying to please others I should have been there for you Luke, like you had been there for me. Its two years later now and I still haven't recovered from losing you but I know that we'll see each other again someday and until that day comes I will be that person that you always said I could be. But I will forever miss you until then. My brother, my hero, the wind beneath my wings.

_Fly, fly, fly high against the sky,  
So high I almost touch the sky.  
Thank you, thank you,  
Thank god for you, the wind beneath my wings_


	2. Every Year Around This Time

**Chapter One: **Every Year Around This Time

"Nathan honey, please open the door" sobbed Haley as she stood in the hallway.

Her husband had been locked up in their bedroom every since they left the grave yard, grieving alone on the date of his brother's death. The woman wiped away a stray tear at the thought. Lucas was not only her brother in law but he was best friend and his death had torn her apart.

At first she didn't want to believe that he was sick. She had called her husband a liar and said that he was just angry at her for some reason and was only saying such a thing in order to hurt her. Although she knew that Nathan would never do something that awful she still spoke the words out of angry and denial, upset that she was going to lose her best friend.

She watched as the cancer ate away at him, turning him into a skeleton before her very eyes. Each visit she paid to him was a painful one as both she and her husband began to realize that thirty-three year old teacher, husband and father of two wasn't going to recover, that he was going to taken away from those who loved him for good.

The day Lucas died she had never seen her husband so broken, and so empty inside. The two of them had been joined together at the hip ever since they graduated from high school and now the brother that he had grown to love was gone, leaving him heartbroken and defeated.

She could the song "The Wind Beneath My Wings" playing for the tenth time in a row, knowing that Nathan was on the other side of the door crying his heart and soul out. It happened every year at this time and all she could do was be there for him whenever he emerged.

"Mom" a small voice called out to her.

She then looked into the tear filled eyes of her eleven year old son Daniel.

"Hey baby" she said taking him into her arms and squeezing him tight.

She didn't have to ask what was wrong, it was obvious. It was the same thing that was wrong with all of them.

"I miss Uncle Lucas"

"I know baby so do I" the woman replied kissing her son on the head.

"Is Dad going to come out soon?"

"I don't know sweetheart. Your Dad's really sad right now"

"I know but I don't think he should be alone Mom"

Haley gave the boy a slight smile. He was so smart for a boy his age.

"Me either baby but we have to wait until he's ready to talk"

The pair stood there silently for a moment before the boy spoke once again.

"Do you believe in heave Mom?"

"Of course I do baby"

"Do you think Uncle Lucas there?"

Haley smiled as she pictured her best friend looking down on them.

"Yeah and if I know him he's probably gonna get kicked out for flirting with the angels"

Both mother and son laughed at the joke just as a loud clicking sound filled the air.

Turning their attention back to the bedroom door they watched as it slowly opened, revealing a red eyed and red faced Nathan.

"Hey" he said in a hoarse voice.

"Hey" replied Haley as she wrapped her arms around the man and held him tightly.

"I know that this is a hard day for you Nathan but we'll get through it, you'll see. Each year will get easier"

"God I hope so" he said stepped back and looking towards his son.

"Come here buddy" he said using the nickname that his uncle had given him.

The boy instantly broke down in his father's arms. Sobbing uncontrollably as his father held him and his mother gently rubbed his back.

Suddenly the door bell rang and Haley rushed to answer it.

When she opened the door a tall dark haired male stood before her along with a light headed girl and a dark haired woman that she instantly ran to embrace. A few short seconds later the family made their way inside and was shown to the living room where they sat on the couch and waited for Nathan and Daniel to appear.

"Nathan, Daniel, come down please" Haley called up to them.

Their eldest son NJ (Nathan Jr.) was at his Aunt Brooke's house where everyone was supposed to meet soon.

"Hey Dad" Nathan said walking over to Dan and giving him a hug.

The man only nodded, not trusting himself to speak at the moment. It always happened this way over the past two years. It was the one day where Dan Scott practically remained silent.

"Mom" he said giving a dejected Karen a kiss on the cheek.

Deb had died of an overdosed during the group's senior year and Dan and Karen had gotten married shortly after. It had hurt Nathan to have to bury his mother at such a young age but not too much seeing as how she was never around when he was growing up and when she was the woman was high out of her mind. In fact Karen had been more of a mother to him then Deb ever had been so losing her and gaining Karen was one of the best things that had ever happened to him.

Sitting next to her was his little sister Katelyn who was the spitting image of their older brother complete with blond hair and green eyes. At first everyone believed that Katelyn was Keith's daughter but the truth later came out that she was in fact Dan's child, conceived on the night of their trip to Rachel's cabin.

It was shocking at first and quite a few people where angry about the deception but everything worked out for the better in the end and for once the Scott's were a normal family.

"Come here sis" Nathan said taking the inconsolable fifteen year old in his arms.

Luke's death had been particularly hard on her because the pair were so close. She loved her big brother more then anything in this world which was something Nathan could definitely relate to.

"We need to get going guys. Brooke's waiting for us" said Haley as the group gathered their things and headed out the door just as had every year around this time, without anyone saying a single word.


End file.
